KLW String Instruments

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Wednesday, November 7, 2018

I've been a bit slack updating the blog of late. Summer was busy with non-luthier stuff and life just gets in the way sometimes. I have however not been completely ignoring luthier work however. I've actually got a fair bit done over the last few months considering all the others things going on in life..

First off someone in the small orchestra Julie plays in had a cello in need of repair/restoration. Turned out to be an Englehardt Cello, a pretty cheap student model but apparently pretty common in school music programs. The cello was the victim of and attempt at refinishing that was at best misguided.. It was also missing most of the parts like a bridge, tuning pegs, tailpiece and sound post. Anyway this got those parts replaces and a new finish put on it.. It is going back to a local music program, It was interesting to do as I am really not a repair person.

The only "before" I did, after I removed the rest of the finish

Ready to be played again

Also the next builds are well underway, those are an Irish Bouzouki and a Octave Mandolin, both built as flat top guitar bodied instruments. The Bouzouki will be Rosewood and Spruce and the OM Honduran Mahogany and Cedar. I started by making the bindings for these, I've been meaning to try my hand and making my own bindings with purfling for some time so it was good to try that and it worked out great.

The Setup for cutting thin binding strips with a slitting blade on a small table saw

The end result

I've also got the sides bent and glued up to the end blocks for both instruments and the tops and backs well on the way to being done.. Just starting to brace up the tops today..

Thursday, July 12, 2018

Well this took a bit longer than planned but the three L0 bodied guitars are now done! Took longer due to just general life getting in the way but also a delay in getting one guitar back from finishing and me taking 3 weeks to get some more training in set up and fret work from a local expert. (Thanks Nicole).

All three are now done and although they share the same shape that is about all they share.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

One guitar body is out for a UV Cured Poly finish one is getting a Tru-Oil finish and one a French Polish with Royal Lac Shellac and all 3 necks are getting a Tru-Oil Finish as well as the Celtic Harp getting a Shellac finish (not french Polish).. Whew..

Thursday, May 24, 2018

So all 3 L-0 guitars are in the finishing process. Not the fastest thing to do either many coats of the chosen hand applied finish applied over days and day then left to cure for weeks or off to the finishing service which takes 4-5 weeks.. Thing are however getting close to done on these three..

One will have a UV cured polyester finish, one hand applied Tru-Oil and one French polish with Royal-Lac hardened shellac, all will have Tru-Oil necks as they seem nice and fast to me.